Growing up in Bermondsey.

A little bit about yourself growing up in Bermondsey
Online
kiwi
Posts: 4801
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 2:53 am

Re: Growing up in Bermondsey.

Postby kiwi » Wed Mar 21, 2018 3:53 am

A post by webbie 2010
I've recently joined the site and thought I would share a few of my memories.
My name is Charlie Webb and I lived with my mum (Jennie) my dad (Bill) and twin-brother (Bill) at No.14 Hendre Road (just off The Old Kent Road - opposite East Lane) until we moved to Hertfordshire about 1953.
I started school life at Grange School in Webb Street, but no names come to mind. From there I went to Nelson School in Trafalgar Street and then on to the South East London Technical College in Lewisham Way.
Whilst living in Hendre Road, I recall a bicycle hire shop on the corner of Hendre Road/Old Kent Road run by a man whom everyone called "Chittie". My brother and I, along with some friends (Frank Hillyard, his brother (name I cannot remember), and Lenny Hardy) used to hire our bikes from him - the bikes had no brakes and rough tyres, but we used these as 'track bikes' behind the horse stables belonging to the railway along Dunton Road.
I used to do a paper round for Bill Lucas whose stand was outside 'The World Turned Upside Down' which was opposite Pages Walk. I delivered to around the Pages Walk area, the Guinness' Buildings and Peabody Buildings.
My mum worked at Barrow, Hepburn & Gale until we left in 1953. My dad worked for Universal Milling Company in Peckham and he used to frequent The Castle pub (located between Hendre Road and Marcia Road - later known as The Gin Palace).
Many of our relatives lived in and around the area - Boyson Road, Westmoreland Road, Inville Road.

Just a little adjustment, no big deal. The SWAN PUB was opposite Pages Walk & yes there was a paper stand there. 'The World Turned Upside Down' was, turn left out of Pages Walk and it was on the left. Kiwi. :)

Online
kiwi
Posts: 4801
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 2:53 am

Re: Growing up in Bermondsey.

Postby kiwi » Tue Apr 10, 2018 4:28 am

Post by dan451 2011.
When we were kids we my brothers Ernie and David Heard lived Bermondsey Wall Fountain House we went to Farncombe St school and down the same air Shelter as Tommy Hicks and his family my mother used to go office cleaning with Tommys mum the Shelter was under Hayes wharf two minutes from our flats I remember as kids it was great fun Watching Joey Alpin throw his cap up at the rats as they ran along the pipes so if he knocked them down his dog Jipp would get them.
we would wait for the lorries to come over the cobbles hoping they were carrying peanuts we used to pick them up from between the cobbles we could never make holes in the sacks well not always.
there used to be a lovely old cafe where the dockers would have their tea May and her daughter loved me they had seats like the old pie shops used to have big wooden high back stool benches i used to push the doors open with all my might when they saw it was me they would shout come in Danny sit in there and give me a whole slice of thick bread and dripping i sat the middle of all the dockers unfortunately they both died when a doodle bug hit the warehouses my mum and dad were down the shelter with Ernie and David who was a babe in arms I was round Farncombe St play centre waiting to get on the brand new bagatelle game there was an almighty explosion that shook my brain all over the place Mr Pratt who was rolling a fag at his back gate said only for the wind blowing up it would have hit the school we lost a lot of mates over that one we had to go in a rest centre as we lived at the bottom of Bevington st that was the Docks and that was what jerry was after , the fire was so fierce that they came from the east end and Wapping to see what got hit being linseed oil nuts and so forth you can imagine, the worst ones were the V2 you just never heard them just the bang.
Our good times came (As Kids ) was when Hartleys jam got hit the tipper lorry’s would bring their loads to the dock by our flats and tip all the dented 7lb tins of jam into the Barges But they had to really slow down entering Bevington St because of the cobbles in the road, we had old prams or carts we made anything with wheels as the driver slowed down we climbed on amongst all that glass to sort out the tins never thought of getting cut but of course we did but we would throw the tins over the side for our mates to load up we were so sticky and as the driver slowed right down because he knew what we were up to we jumped down you can why we all had bad teeth but almost everyone in Bevington St had jam for tea
that part of the docks was all open for anyone to walk on and look at the royal daffodil big paddle steamer pleasure boat and it was like a beach but about 25ft from the water downwards that is all new apartments on it now .

Online
kiwi
Posts: 4801
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 2:53 am

Re: Growing up in Bermondsey.

Postby kiwi » Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:41 am

Post by Jumbo 2011
Born and raised in Bermondsey, 1940-1961, moved to Barlow St near East St., Walworth when I married Rita from Spa Road.
Lived first in A Block, Guinness Trust, Snowfields but this got bombed so moved to Layard Road off of Southwark Park Rd. My family lived there until the place was compulsory purchased for redevelopment - shame.
Dad, Alf James, worked at Butler's Wharf running the printing dept. He also ran the Lions Football club, starting before the war and continuing afterwards, and they were very successful, winning three trophies’ in 1955. Dad died in 1969 and was buried by Albin’s.
Mum, Ellen (Nellie) James nee Miller, was a furrier working in the West End for large dept. stores. She is now 100 years old and lives near me in Suffolk.
My brother, John married Jean nee Dedman, from Rotherhithe and they lived in Southwark Park Rd until he died April 2009. He also worked at Butler's in the tea dept and he was, for many years, the secretary of the Bermondsey Fishing Club.
In Layard Road our neighbours were: Teddy Townsend, Alan Reeves, Ronnie Nisbet, Carol McCombie, David Betram, Kenny Howard, Terry Lunney, Michael Danglelitus, Peter Dawson, Roy Bennetts and many other lovely people.
I went to school at Southwark Park Rd then to Mina Road (Walworth Sec Mod).
Bermondsey was a lovely place in those days and the original people there still try to keep it the way it was but they are losing out to development and change. I stopped going there when John died two years ago but the place will always be a big part of me.

Jimbo
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 1:56 pm
Location: Basingstoke

Re: Growing up in Bermondsey.

Postby Jimbo » Fri Mar 22, 2019 6:18 pm

Hello Jumbo
Seen your post ,, I'm Jim Lunney and lived at 13 Layard Road Terry being my older brother, I also knew all the people you mention , I am sure If I knew your real name I would remember you, I lived there till 1969 .and then moved to Blackfen , when got married.
If you see this perhaps you could con tact me through the private message
Cheers Jimbo


Return to “Member's Short Stories”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests